Wednesday, November 03, 2010

Break it down, dust off and refocus...

Yesterday the Republican Party took control of the House of Representatives…big time!

The GOP brilliantly used the Tea Party to turn out voters and take the House in the largest margin since 1938.

As a result, on January 3rd the new Congress will be sworn in.

And on January 4th“Government isn’t listening to us!” will become “Holy shit, we are the Government…so you people better listen to us!”

This GOP victory on the shoulders of Tea Party momentum puts The Party of Tea in a position to flex in the House. Expect to see them make their voice heard…and pose a challenge to Speaker-to-be Boehner, who will need to swiftly deliver on those pledges of spending cuts and job creation.

Tea Party victors will face the ultimate political challenge – standing up for what they campaigned on in a world of deals and compromise.

They are the government now…and the whole world will be watching.

Let’s not fall back on the tired nonsense that only blah, blah, blah percent of eligible voters showed up.

When people don’t vote…they voted.

And let’s not eat our own…yet.

Democrats need to own this ass whooping and Progressives need to own it with them. The base was uninspired, exhausted and disappointed...what we do about that shit will define who we are.

Democrats in the Senate need to gather and strategize…stat.

The House will send a whole lot of shit to the Senate…and the Senate will be where the policies of the Second Chance GOP will be defined.

Debate in the Senate will frame those GOP policy proposals…so Democrats in the Senate need to prepare to pull their shit together, dust off their debate hats and defend what needs to be defended. They need to rethink leadership, messaging and what they are willing to toss under the bus.

In many ways it is easier to deal with political happenings like the Tea Party when their candidates are actually elected to office.

Catch that knee…catch it!

Talking about how government is broken is easy and clearly it resonates with a lot of voters.

Making change in Washington is a whole different matter…a balance between obstructing and advocating that requires a lot of skill and the ability to rub the back of your base while playing political poker with your other hand.

In conclusion - I’m exhausted and need to refuel…but I sure as hell am not cowed.

I'm upset too. In Ohio, we lost Strickland to a bunch of people who think that just one man lost us 400,000 jobs. No.. it wasn't just one man, it was this whole economic collapse that lost us that.Now we're going to lose the commuter rail project between the big Cs that I personally hoped would bring jobs into the state and also be a shining example of how this country needs to invest back into the rail.

Now I won't be able to hope up to Cleveland for a weekend trip on a 100mph train of awesomeness because Kasich says he'll stop it.

But yeah.. the Republicans own it. Maybe they can make some improvements. I feel the Democrats did but the Republicans and others of that persuasion kept covering their ears and going "I can't hear you!"

Nobody's perfect. I'm not going to expect perfection from the Republicans either.

Drat! In Arizona, we lost Harry Mitchell and gained Ben Quayle, just ducky! Progressive activism in this state is useless as far as I can see, what is an Oma to do? One candle against the darkness... Maybe respectful, handwritten letters (faxed of course to avoid exposing the dears in DC to nasty bugs!). I think that 10 a week is a good start; certainly and achievable goal to begin with!

What I see, is my country putting a lot of people in power that have no regard for the rights of people like me: brown, female, gay ... and not to mention a Soldier who actually enjoys serving her country, but just HATES having to lie about it.

I know there's room to fight and strategize, but I also know history enough to know that when given and inch, folks like those Tea Partiers will take a mile. They call us Socialists, I call bullshit.

I have seen American political empires rise and fall. Ugly. Yup, ugly.Here in California, Brown and Boxer punched their way through a wall of money money money. Yes, it can be done. Talk about two examples of how to fucking focus and stay on message. And what about that new openly gay mayor in Kentucky? There is light if you wish to see it.But for now....

Bummed, bummed, bummed.37% of Maine voters elected a man for Governor that doesn't believe in global warming. I'm just terribly disappointed. On a brighter note, California did well. Also starting to miss Nancy Pelosi. Loved how she would fire them all up.Janet in Maine

I can't help think that Tea Party Republicans will fall in line with where the party leaders will lead them legislatively and investigatively speaking.

The Tea Party Republicans will learn that their elections were not funded by the "grass roots" but by powerful lobbyist groups like the US Chamber of Commerce. And they will expect reciprocation.

As it pertains to the Democratic party, I lay the depressed voter turnout at the the feet of Obama and his administration. Sure the house and senate members who ran on hope and change two years ago had all abandoned their supporters in 2010. But it was Obama who belittled his supporters telling them to sit down and shut up when they stood up for their beliefs while Obama all but praised the Tea Party Republicans for standing up for their beliefs.

And now I watch and wait to see just how far Obama will move to the right to appease the Republican Party.

That said, I can't help wonder if Russ Feingold tipped his hat to a presidential run in 2012 during his concession speech.